reading books that intimidate me (leaving my comfort zone *yikes*)

in today's reading vlog we are doing anothe reading challenge: tackling intimidating classic books that i've been putting off for a while but that i do really want to try out! contemporary fiction, hard sci-fi, russian literature... what happens when i step out of my comfort zone? will i like these books? or was i right for rarely touching these genres?
check out britt's channel for more fun reading challenges: / xbrittjee3
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🌺 a b o u t m e
Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 23 year old girl who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave). I live in the Netherlands and go to university, but make booktube videos in my spare time :)
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[@AndreaMGC]

I used to think the same as you.. that I was too stupid to understand things; however, after taking 6 years of English literature for my degree, I've changed my perspective on that. Literature is meant to entertain, to inform, to be READ. So if a reader can't understand or engage with the prose that's on the author not the reader. And keep in mind that not all books are made for all readers. Sometimes, you're just not the audience and that's okay because there are literally thousands of other options. Took me a long time to accept that no matter how hard I try, literary classics are not for me. I like a few but for the most part I'm not into it. I'm also not a big fan of sci-fi. Fantasy is my favourite genre and I've just learned that for the "adult" versions of Sci-fi and fantasy one of the most popular forms of the medium is to info dump. You just get yeeted into the world and it's a sink or swim scenario. Either just accept that things will not make sense until they finally do or find another book. Honestly, the reading experience should be fun. If you're not having fun. Move on! There are so many books to love.

[@mathildesteinmeier9504]

Wow, this is inspiring! Thank you for sharing. My intelligents is definitely a big insecurity of mine hahah

[@khadiisam26]

agree!

[@Mymakermovie77]

This comment was everything I needed to hear 💖

[@leathehatless]

"I should not be intimidated by a stack of dead trees." Leonie, 2021 This should be an inspirational quote on a tshirt. Love all your videos! They are so original.

[@sol-rosa]

when you’re russian and had to read ‘Crime & Punishment’ and ‘War&Peace’ in school in 10-11th grade in order to get a good mark... May I reccoment you ‘Master and Margarita’ by Bulgakov though? It’s a russian urban fantasy book written in early 20 th century, and in my opinion one of the best and most entertaining russian classics out there. It’s not just super fun to read, has magic etc, but got this unique russian flavor/spin on it. Also as a bonus, other stupidly long russian classics that we had to finish reading in school (and I did eventually): Oblomov by Goncharov And Quiet flows the Don by Sholokhov Idiot by Dostoevsky (a very good one)

[@zephyr2266]

"Master and Margarita" is already on my TBR List - i heard the Devil and a talking Cat and was sold. But thanks a lot for the other recommendations!

[@sol-rosa]

@@zephyr2266 Then please check out: A hero of our time by Lermontov! It’s one of my favorite classics. It’s dramatic in the best way possible. I wouldn’t say other thicc bonus books I mentioned are what I’d recommend to read, but those are considered a Must Read in russian schools. Also ‘Dead Souls’ by Gogol. Those are very long and not exactly entertaining. I do recommend to read everything Dostoevsky though.

[@notllikethat]

I loved Crime and Punishment I've heard that you usually either like Tolstoy or Dostoevskiy and I suppose that I am the second type

[@SovietMoviesExplained]

Yay! Props to "Master & Margatita"! Wanted to recommend it too. I'm camp Tolstoy - read the entire "War & Peace" for school and LOVED it (the first book ever to make me so emotional about the characters). Managed to skip over C&P somehow (read it partly) and revised it only recently. Had the same feeling as Leoni here - just relax and let it flow 😁

[@kjarakravik4837]

Dramatic in the best way possible is excactly how I would describe everything Tolstoy's ever written

[@NadaAlawadhi]

You’re not the only one with these weird make no sense insecurities and thoughts. I’m actually feeling very comforted with you sharing them!!

[@Tierney_Reads]

This is so interesting to me because I’m the complete opposite; give me any of the classics or any literary fiction any day but I find high fantasy so intimidating, the books are always massive, they’re always part of a massive series, there’s always like 500 characters to keep track of and so much world building and lore to memorise - that terrifies me 😂

[@aivryzamora825]

SAME! Crazy how that goes

[@kathaiia]

sometimes im intimidated by really hyped books, so ill put off reading them because im scared they’ll dissappoint me

[@ellen6312]

Me too! That's why I still have not read The song of Achilles....

[@aryanemarques2089]

Me too, I'm afraid that I will not like them as much as other people

[@anulekhasaikia6466]

@@ellen6312 i was kinda afraid of it disappointing me and had put off reading it for 2 years. i finally read it this month and it's become my favorite book now

[@blandface9957]

Me!!! I still haven't read Lord of the Rings 💀 I'm so scared because I want to love it

[@abby3215]

I 100% agree with the feeling of "if I read this and don't like this book then what does that say about me" I get that feeling about classics all the time!

[@emilymoran9152]

I think when it comes to "is it my fault or the book's fault?" a lot of it comes down to confidence and experience as a reader. If you've read and enjoyed multiple long, dense books, you're less likely to have the immediate thought "I must just be dumb" - especially if that lets you pinpoint WHY you don't like THIS long, dense book. That being said, there are some books I appreciated way more 5 or 10 years after I first tried to read them - on the first run I just didn't have the life experience or historical context needed to appreciate them.

[@PolaFromPoland87]

It reminds me of when I first read "Picture of Dorian Gray" - I was 15 then and I haaaaaated it. I picked it up again as a uni student and bum, my favourite book ever. And with "Master and Margarita" I loved it both times I read it, but I loved different things 😅. And I have yet felt the urge to read "Wuthering Highs" past page 10 😂.

[@queenlucysroyalmaid1]

How the heck did you make a green top and a red skirt not look like a Christmas tree, I don't understand... you made it look so classy! How did you do it?!?!??!!

[@BohoBookworm]

I want to know how she does everything. She always makes everything just look incredible and peaceful!

[@ttttthea]

after going through a phase of only wanting to read short standalones, I developed a fear of big books and series. so naturally, I decided I should read 800+ pages of victorian russian literature (anna karenina). I did, and I actually enjoyed it, and now I feel fuckin invincible lmao

[@ba-gg6jo]

Well done, as they say, it is just taking that first step. Anna Karenina is wonderful. Try Dr. Zhivago, a love story set against the backdrop of the civil war in Russia from 1917 onwards. I really enjoyed it, and I'm a guy. Carry on reading and yes you are fuckin invincible. Stay safe.

[@ttttthea]

@@ba-gg6jo I absolutely will try Dr. Zhivago, it sounds great. Thank you so much for the recommendation! 🙌🏼

[@ceethemedic1979]

Anything out of your comfort zone is a medium to grow🤗

[@TheBookLeo]

indeed!

[@Haynhayn]

100% agree with the notion that books intimidate me when they make me feel like I’m too stupid to catch on to the deeper meaning ( if there is even a deeper meaning??)

[@angelazeiler6838]

One of my fav books is "The Count of Monte Christo" by Alexandre Dumas. I already read it three times in the last 10-15 years and it's so good. 🥰😍🥰 So if you need another classic on your list go for this chunky boy (sometimes it's even split into two books). I think I'm intimidated by content and not just how many pages a book has. As soon as it gets boring or confusing I'm having such a hard time continuing it. My worst example is Effi Briest (had to read it for school). Never again I was so frustrated and angry while reading a book ... sorry if I offended someone, who likes it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea 😅😇

[@Zivilin]

I liked that one too. One of my favourite books though is the three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. 😃

[@nathaliabrum2070]

Seeing you talk about your favorite movies gave me this idea that i think could make a pretty fun video: you list your favorite movies and recommend books that have the same ~vibe~

[@crazykenna]

Long books with historical and/or cultural context that I don’t know and a lot of characters and plots to keep track of intimidate me - AKA: War and Peace.

[@eliananoei652]

Dostoevsky and Tolstoy are masters. Obviously their books have a deep "hidden meaning" and not everybody gets everything they are trying to tell their audience but nobody will be lost whilst reading their books. Simply jump in and enjoy. Russian literature is simply superior.

[@kjarakravik4837]

On the bright side, a lot of translations will provide footnote's and explanations. I'm slavic and I still feel very intimidated by books set in the past because it's so far removed it feels like a different world. I guess the English equivalent is reading stuff set in Victorian England or during the middle ages

[@crazykenna]

@@kjarakravik4837 yeah, I love Jane Austen, but there’s a lot of context and subtext of Regency Era England society built into her books that a casual modern reader would miss. (Luckily there are a lot of Jane Austen channels on KZbin who love to talk about these details and themes!).

[@rebekahmenn2118]

When I'm reading sci-fi or magical realism and don't understand what's going on as I'm reading, I continue reading and assume everything will be explained... and it almost always is. I don't think I've ever come to the end of a book where I didn't understand the story. Two examples I can think of are "The Three-Body Problem" by Cixin Liu and "The Book of M" by Peng Shepherd (sci-fi, magical realism/post-apocalyptic respectively). They were EXCELLENT books, and I would highly recommend them to anyone who likes those genres, but sometimes you might be confused and you just have to keep reading -- if the author is a good writer, everything will be explained eventually.

[@jimirvine3776]

Absolutely, totally agree. A lot of times the confusion is the point, and you just have to go along for the ride!

[@ArushiAggarwal]

I felt so seen when you said that you held non-fantasy in a much higher regard just because you read fantasy a lot and this is exactly me with Crime and Punishment a lot because I read thrillers a lot so all literary fiction intimidates me and I take so long to read it because I think I'm supposed to get a ~ lot of important things ~ from the text and I'm supposed to understand it really well.

[@jaeyeejung101]

yesss i love thrillers

[@Alexandra-jc5xm]

Your videos are so aesthetic and calming i love them 🥰

[@TheBookLeo]

thank you

[@jeeranko3359]

I think that having to read "Crime and Punishment" at the age of 15 is one of the causes to such a high rate of depression in Russian teens. I am Russian, I know what I'm talking about. Yeah, sure, classic literature is a treasure to the world, but, as a teacher, I'm sure kids must not read it at school. There are tons of other books, suitable for this age demographic, that can easily teach the same values, but in a less mentally breaking way. I often hear that reading these books teaches kids to love reading in general and I could not agree less! If anything it makes them hate books as a medium. Classic Russian literature is definitely not for teens. So I'm really interested in hearing your thoughts on it, as you are adult and not Russian, looking forward to it! Good luck! 👍🏻

[@mac8697]

Man, they made us read an abbreviated version of Don Quixote at school in Spain and I wanted to burn it, if they made me read Crime and Punishment I think I would actually burn it... I wholeheartedly agree with you, my best reading experiences at school were when they made us read books marketed at teens but made us analyze the themes, ideas, etc. It teaches you the skills you need to break down a book without killing your reading spirit.

[@Barbica95]

I had to read Crime and punishment for school at age 15, and I absolutely loved it, it made me want to explore and read more classic literature. So to each their own, I guess

[@jeeranko3359]

@@Barbica95 yup, happens sometimes, mostly exceptions tho. Also, have you reread it since? It's always interesting to revisit books that were significant at some point and to see if our perception has changed.

[@jeeranko3359]

@@mac8697 well... yeah, have to agree. I actually read "Don Quixote" last year and... I mean, I finished it exclusively on my will power. Spanish literature gave us so many books that make so much more sense than this one (even tho I do understand that it's satire and it was meant to be nonsensical, but still)!

[@Barbica95]

@@jeeranko3359 no, this video just got me thinking about re-reading it again, I'm very curious about my experience this time around too

[@kates1x]

Kazuo Ishiguro is my favorite author! I saw an interview of where he talked about the passivity of his characters and how he's interested in exploring what characters don't do in their lives, rather than what they do. I think that's why all of the characters in his novels end up in a weird, anticlimactic space because they're realizing that it's too late to change their lives.

[@just_ella17]

11:30 I mostly read classic literature and ya contemporaries so generally the books that confuse me are classics. I mostly read in English, which is not my native language (mainly because English books are so much cheaper in Germany) so when I'm not understanding a book I usually don't see an issue with either myself or the book because there are so many outside factors that affect my reading of the book. Sometimes I'll just put a book down and then get back to it again or if I feel like I could've enjoyed a book and just didn't I reread it a while later. With my classics I try to buy editions with decent summaries (mostly penguin english library and penguin black spines) which usually give good historic context.

[@Amanda-qt6lc]

I got the priority of the orange tree nearly a year ago. I have no logical reason for why I'm intimidated by it. It is absolutely massive. It's not that long. I think it's 800-900 pages, but it's bigger than my stormlight books that are 1200 pages.

[@yasmimp7821]

There' s an amazing Brazilian writer called Jorge amado who I'd love for yall to give It a try. He's books have been translated to many different languages and they're delightful to read and to give a different perspective about Brazilian people and it's culture. It's also an easy reading If you wanna get out of your confort zone but don't wanna feel dumb lol

[@hutaomain8340]

thank you so much for the recommendation!!

[@petrichor2932]

I honestly think it's neither one's fault, some books aren't meant for me and that's about it. I'd never blame myself for not understanding a book, sometimes it's just about the right setting or right age that affects our ability to grasp the context, so yeah..

[@AdamFishkin]

Yes!! Leo's reaction to "Crime & Punishment", one of my favorites! And she starts it .... while on a picnic? Uhm okay. The most objectively intimidating book, hands-down, is "Finnegans Wake" by James Joyce. I managed to break the mental barrier by getting piss drunk, and the entire book made sense .... but stopped making sense once I was sober.

[@depressedtv]

Crime and Punishment is one of my favorite books. It might even be Dostoevsky's best book. Or The Brothers Karamazov might be better, but it's not as accessible as Crime and Punishment.

[@ruthjackson2804]

I’m currently trying to plough through Jane Eyre but since it’s an English classic from the 19th centuary I’m also really struggling to concentrate and understand everything going on- I’ve definitely learnt your tactic of also reading something else on the side and so I read a chapter every other day or so 😂

[@Silverraine1]

maybe try Serial Reader app for classics? it breaks down the books into easy to manage parts, and gives you a daily 15-20 min section to read. this helps me not get distracted from my goal when reading other books in between, it also gives me time to think and helps me keep a slow but steady pace.

[@ashipoorey3780]

i swear, leonie, your videos are so cozy and aesthetic. i love your content sm! also, a random thing- your english accent is so soothing ahh

[@mariaarauj]

This was kinda my situation with fantasy! I always thought that YA fantasy was not for me and avoided for a long time, but when I gave it a shot it turned out it's super good and I'm happy that I did it.

[@TheBookLeo]

that's so nice!

[@mariaarauj]

@@TheBookLeo hohohoooh

[@yasmimp7821]

Portuguese writer José saramago is by far the most intimadating to me. I didn't even understood the film they made about his book. Once at a library I tried to read it "ensaio sobre a cegueira" (don't know how they translated it) and gave up after spending half an hour to read 3 pages, and I still didn't understand what happened in those 3 pages.

[@eliananoei652]

His book "all the names" is my favourite book of all time. I would advise against continuing "blindness" right now since the subject matter is a pandemic lol. But I agree that his writing style makes his books intimidating.

[@yasmimp7821]

@@eliananoei652 it's been over 5 years since I tried, maybe New I could understand a bit more, but boy wouldn't It be a Challenge. Was "all the names as dificult?

[@eliananoei652]

@@yasmimp7821 His lack of punctuation continues in this book but it is much shorter than blindness. I found the overall theme so relatable and I think about this book all the time. I think he received his Nobel the year after he wrote this book. Now I am not saying he got it because of this book but I am sure it pushed them to give it to him...

[@meowmeow-ep8wm]

I really liked his book “city of the blind” ( it’s called like that in German, so don’t know if that’s the right English name) but it was really good and I found it not to hard to read. But the problem with no punctuation was a bit annoying.

[@estadoagridulce]

i’m about to read “war and peace”…..so, yeah……i feel like it was about fucking time, because i have time and there is a pandemic out there, so maybe when again? good luck with your reads Leo!

[@muskaan1129]

Good luck!! I'm also reading war and peace atm and absolutely loving it. It's very readable and fun! I hope you enjoy it:)

[@bernadettemary2135]

i find classics and long books very intimidating. thanks for doing this video and for going out of your comfort zone, its admirable :)

[@skyhideaway]

One book that intimidated me was and is 100 Years Of Solitude. I started reading it but never got to finish it because of how many confusing events was going on and half of the time, I was trying to remember the characters' names.

[@TalkAsSoftAsChalk]

I started reading One Hundred years of Solitude and I have no explanation for why I am so intimidated but I totally am. So watching this has given me a lot of courage.

[@jelena1480]

Yes! I started it and after some time I felt lost in the book and now I feel I have to start again

[@rikkebay8548]

May I just say that I think there is a misconception about 'Russian literature' (meaning mostly the classics from the 19th century). People always seem to think that the character trade is that they are as thick as two bricks, but there are plenty of other classics than Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina and War and Piece. I personally love Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev, A Hero of our Time by Mikhail Lermontov and Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin. All of these are about under 300 pages. Just in case if someone would like to read a Russian classic, but like me hate very long books 😊 If you want to read Tolstoy, then his novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich is recommendable and Notes from Underground if you want a short Dostoevsky-novel.

[@SovietMoviesExplained]

As a Russian speaker I couldn't agree more! Not a fan of Dostoyevskiy, I'm team Tolstoy 😂. I would add Vladimir Nabokov to your impressive list of recommendations: I've just recently reread all his earlier works that he wrote in Russian - it's SOOO good 😍, beautiful language. "Kamera Obscura" is "Lolita Light", "The invitation to beheading" is captivatingly bizzare.

[@rikkebay8548]

@@SovietMoviesExplained I haven't tried out Nabokov yet, but I'll definitely check it out, thanks! Talking about intimidating works, I have been intimidated by Lolita, so reading a 'light version' might be just what I'm looking for 😂

[@matik3667]

I also was intimidated by crime and punnishment. But i read a few pages for fun to see how it felt, and i was so surprised that it was quite easy to read! Long and sad, but manageable! 3 weeks later i finnished it.

[@tejaswinisureshkrishnan4228]

You could do this in a series. Like try reading a couple of these a month make videos in small quantities along with the usual books you read so that you don't get into a reading slump😄❤

[@morganjones2744]

You are fine. I can totally relate to the feeling. I feel intimidated by older books that are classics (early 1900's/1800's and anything father back). More plot driven, extensive world building, sci-fi stories get to me also 😳. I love world building and I am pretty picky about the plot in stores, but it makes me a bit intimidated when I am told that the author over explains and has "info dumps" often. I get overwhelmed by it.

[@deathofthought1474]

dude idk what other would say but what you did in the video takes guts. me personally really enjoy classics and heavy and complex books, but i always am reading a really easy book simultaneously. so that i take a break of 1 or 2 days when it gets too much and i just read the other book.

[@Sirdeln]

I know I'm watching this forever after you posted it but I love that final shot from the grass so much!

[@depressedtv]

Neuromancer is so good. It's insane it was from 1983. It doesn't really feel dated at all. The rest of the trilogy is just as good. The last book is the most accessable. Incidentally, the characters are better in the later books.

[@TheVzala]

I was overly concerned about you cutting the parsnips before peeling Great video!

[@mattkean1128]

I really enjoyed this video. It's great to mix in something different, or something a little more challenging. There are a ton of great Russian short stories to ease into. Pushkin, Chekhov. I really like a good character study vs a plot driven story. Though sometimes I just want to have fun too.

[@shirleygomes2004]

It's okay to feel intimidated by some books. I was really intimidated by Dostoyevsky and so I got Crime and Punishment. I took three months to complete it and I'm glad that I completed it. I'm not so intimidated by Dostoyevsky anymore and I think I'll pick up more of his books in the future.

[@BasicallyBrittx]

Yessss to reading challenges! Loved the little wrap up where you told us what you learned. I feel you on not liking the feeling of not understanding everything 😂

[@Fankeybottle123]

I enjoy you taking a stroll, finding a good place to read, cooks, and water your garden. Please do it often, Leonie :)

[@Stonedead1991]

I read Neuromancer couple of years ago and let me tell you i didn't undestand anything. It's very complicated and it assumes you know the terms that it uses, which is annoying when I obviously didn't know them or I just guessed what they could mean. EDIT: I commented before I finished watching the vid to the end and you summarised it perfectly.

[@pendragon2012]

I never finished Crime and Punishment either but I should finish it. Loved The Brothers Karamazov. I think you're right--you can enjoy the kind of human insight you get from him if you're not expecting action packer and non stop thrills! Another great video--I just found this channel and I'm bingeing all the ones I can find!

[@chiaradigirolamo]

The music in this video is exquisite! ❤ love these challenge videos

[@BohoBookworm]

I find your videos so therapeutic. The garden. The cheese board. The wine. Beautiful... bliss!

[@putrijd5173]

the shot at your parents’ place with the red couch, the b&w cat, the t-shirt, the ROSE *chef’s kiss especially when you were holding up the ishiguro

[@ValentinaNtv]

Can we talk about the composition at 14:35? The colors, the light, the view! So satisfying🥺

[@beatrizleiter.santos7548]

Thanks for sharing about Neuromancer, you described exactly what I think. I would just add that for me, it was as if the book were encrypted like a code passing in front of you and you have to make your effort to unravel it. In the end, you get the general concept but feel like failing to understand the details.

[@viviana9258]

the nature and cat shots in this are -- chefs kiss!! absolutely loved this video!!

[@kathale967]

The Song of Ice and Fire books really intimidated me so I decided to read them all back to back and they are now one of my favourite series of all time

[@elrilmoonweaver4723]

Oh one of the books that used to intimidate me to no end was the Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, because I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to the Stormlight Archive series. That was back in 2016, now I'm rereading the first 3 books back to back to back and don't even care that it takes me a month to get through them :P

[@ottoismy1dog]

I'm a big science fiction reader. Neuromancer is a classic because it launched the cyberpunk genre. It was a mediocre story. You mentioned loving the Blade Runner films, they are nothing like the source material (Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep). I think modern sci-fi is much more accessible than many of the sci-fi classics. The classics can often be dry, with most of the emphasis on the concepts, rather than character development or plot.

[@o0BlackSand0o]

I'm intimidated by books that have a lot of huge words, or made up words since it effects my dyslexia. As for whether I blame myself or the book, it actually depends. If I get confused I try rereading the chapter that made me confused and I take it slower. Then I break down what I know and what's confusing me. From there I'm able to work out if it's me or if it was badly conveyed. Sometimes I read it to my husband to see if he gets it or not.

[@FullNesi]

I totally understand the concept of intimidating books. For example, I love science fiction, it’s my favorite genre and I wrote a whole master thesis on some sci-fi aspects, and I was so terrified about reading Neuromancer that I put it of until a couple months ago. And to be able to read that book, I actually bought a specific copy in my native language because I knew that I would struggle, and I needed to made that task easier. And it wasn’t easy anyway 😂 I ended up loving the book (I think I love the character more than the book in itself), but I had to read a lot about the book, and see a lot of videos about it, to understand what was going on. So yeah girl, we all struggle with that and in the end, no one is going to blame us for not wanting to melt our brains in literature, when we just want to have fun with books.

[@chumplml]

There's a lot of sci-fi out there that isn't beginner friendly for sure! Earlier sci-fi was more about the concepts and the themes than the characters and prose. I'd recommend more modern sci-fi like "To Be Taught, If Fortunate" by Becky Chambers that, yes, includes some science but revolves mostly around the characters. I think it was very brave of you to step out of your comfort zone and that should be celebrated! Maybe I should do the same and tackle some epic fantasy...

[@isisvda]

The wayfarer series by Becky chambers is also a good place to start, but picking up one of her shorter novels is probably way less intimidating for a lot of people

[@chumplml]

@@isisvda I agree!

[@TheThinkingBar]

You are not the only one intimidated by what people may think if you don't like a type of content. Such a great step to actually pick up the paper stacks 🥰✨

[@raevynwoods9403]

If you want to try another sci-fi book I recommend The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Cambers! I just finished it and it got me out of a reading slump. You get to know all the characters, the sci-fi concepts are well thought out and actuall explained properly, and I laughed out loud multiple times while reading it. It has a similar style to most fantasy books I read, but instead of magic, the fictional element is outer space and what happens there.

[@sarahhope2216]

Her outfits are goals!

[@midorimatsudaira3264]

Hey Leonie, thanks for this video! THE CAT IS SO CUTE! 😭 I totally have some insecurities when it comes to books, too. I recently braved it out and finished The Hound of The Baskervilles and I enjoyed it a lot! I've always wanted to read a Sherlock book (I'm a fan of Tintin!) but was always intimidated, probably because in my head, classics = difficult to understand. I always thought that classics aren't my thing, but I enjoyed the 3 books that I finished this month. Sometimes going out of your comfort zone makes for a pretty interesting experience.

[@blackanne]

I don't immediately assume either when I don't get or like a book. Some books do go over my head because I lack the necessary context knowledge, but that also doesn't make me stupid, it just means that this book is not for me at this moment. Sometimes I don't like a book and then I realize that it's because it's garbage. Sometimes I appreciate the book for what it meant in its times but I notice that it did not stand the test of time, like Anna Karenina.

[@bookthoughtswitheilish]

I HATE not understanding whats going on in a book, I just read The Shadow War and I had a hard time imagining what was going on in the world. I do think its on the author to world build and explain not so much the reader xx

[@halyketarrant]

20:34 cracked me up 😂 what a wholesome video, loved it! Especially the bit in the woods!

[@charlyreynhorse]

When I don't understand what's going on in a book, I just think "ah yes, nothing is different here" because I'm perpetually confused and my mind is constantly wandering

[@letsdomath1750]

"Again, there are no dragons in this. Kinda weird..." I loved that comment so much that your video got a like. 🤣

[@anhthovo985]

I remember you said that you're not really into crime or detective books, but I'd like to recommend you "The borrowed' by Chan Ho Kei which is one of my favourite book of all time. It is plot-driven but you can get to know the characters a lot. The stories provoke thinkings about justice tells you many things about Hong Kong when it still belonged to England. I read the in book in Vietnamese but I believe the English version would be great too. Do check it out if you feel like stepping out of your comfort zone again ❤❤

[@Zivilin]

*writes it on my TBR list*

[@rivendellstarlight]

your backyard/garden is so lovely!

[@dyn01234567]

As regards Neuromancer: William Gibson likes to throw you in the deep end, but I find the initial difficulty rewarding in the end. If you aren't sure whether you'll like him, I strongly suggest reading his book of short stories "Burning Chrome". They're really nice self contained stories that you can read in about an hour apiece, and gives you a good taste of his style.

[@valentineboudaud1887]

One of my fav book of all time was the most intimidating book I've read. It was this 900 pages book following kids in a boarding school, it took me 3 months to read it but it was sooooo good and I got so attached to the characters (The grey house by Maryam Petrosyan, contemporary with fantasy elements)

[@charlotteg768]

russian classic lit is def one of the genres that intimidates me! i do want to tackle it some day though, i just know it will take me a while and i need to be able to focus on it! my other major genre that intimidates me is definitely non-fiction, outside of essays or biographies. i'm reading a book about physics at the moment and it's so interesting but it slows down my reading a lot because i'm trying to understand.

[@juanpablozamoramoncada9946]

Personally I find a book intimidating when it's too long or so many people love it and I'm afraid of not understanding it or that I don't like it.

[@caraamethyst6956]

That analogy to eavesdropping is so spot on and fully accurate every time I’m confused by a book. I already know I’m too stupid to understand some books lmao

[@_sarathedreamer]

Your shirt with little ghosts or whatever they are on it is so cute 🥺 also congrats about going out of your comfort zone I’m proud of you 🥰

[@nasteho6614]

I felt intimated by these kinds of books because of school. We had to write so much about what we read and all I could come up with was“ eh they said what they want to say”🤷🏾‍♀️. I couldn’t really put my feelings into words. I tried to read/listen to them independently when I got older to face that fear but I found out that I was just bored out of mind🙄. The only intimidation was failing an AP lit class which I had no business taking since I really wasn’t into non SF/F fiction 😅

[@mac8697]

I really love seeing you reading in Dutch. I'm sometimes ashamed that I read some books in Spanish (my native language) instead of in English, especially when I rent them from the library or swap them with a friend. Surreally, your review of Neuromancer made me /really/ want to read the book, hahaha. I'm particularly intimidated by long books - more than 300 pages activates my flight instinct. Not understanding what's going on in a book makes me think that whoever wrote it didn't explain themselves clearly enough - or that it's intentionally obscure and you'll get it as you go, which is very typical of sci-fi.

[@kru6391]

Yay I'm earlyyyy!! I just love your videos and your personality Leonie ❤. And I also love how you make such good videos covering various topics and doing challenges.

[@TheBookLeo]

thank you, you're sweet!

[@onefocus5882]

I love your videos so much! That shot in your garden with the flowers was so beautiful and peaceful. You always take so many beautiful shots and scenes for your videos, thank you so much for all the work you put into your videos 😊

[@alfme]

Confusion is not necessarily a mistake, sometimes it can be a resource or even the goal. It can still be stimulating even if you don't understand what's going on

[@probablyhyperfixating]

Omgosh the bird poo this year has been crazy! Ive started to have to cover my swing at night because every morning i wake up and its all over ahhhh angers me lol

[@fairyfayebr]

i read The Daddy of intimidating books aka War And Peace last month, and it seems to have taken away any intimidation i had for any other books. sometimes you’ve just got to throw yourself into the deep end in order to realise that all books serve a (sometimes very different) purpose and that there’s something that you were MEANT to find in each of them.

[@Grace_Reads]

If you ever want to try sci-fi again, I'd suggest the Thrawn trilogy (the 1990s one, not the new one) if you're into Star Wars. Ender's Game is also good. I've also heard great things about the Foundation Trilogy. For classics, I was always a sucker for adventure, so Three Musketeers or Man in the Iron Mask--I saw someone else suggest Count of Monte Cristo--you can't go wrong with Dumas. (I also had a Robin Hood phase and have read about 10 different versions, lol) I also liked Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, if you're interested in epic poetry.

[@ainoa2930]

for crime and punishment i recommend listening to the audiobook (its free on youtube), because most of the book is dialogue so its easier to listen to it

[@alexandrasstudio5308]

Classics and Sci-fi is not something I would try to read anytime soon but maybe one day!!! Great video! Love ur content!!!

[@bertfechner417]

Neuromancer and Crime and Punishment are on my tbr too. I hear really good things about both. I've read War & Peace by Tolstoy and really liked it so I can't imagine Dostoyevsky being much different. Have a lot of Russian writers on my list to get to. Was planning on making a month out of it where I read nothing but Russian writers but prolly won't happen due to how disorganized I am.

[@aleikotdaishura2761]

I'm also reading Crime and Punishment at the moment. I usually read it at lunch time, so it's in small doses every day. I read the Karamazov Brothers a long time ago and remember there was a part of the book with all the philosophical discussion that went over my head, so I skipped it :) I'm wary because I'm expecting the book to turn into something dense, but I'm already at a third and it hasn't happened. It can't be as dense as the other one (I hope) 😶

[@Directioner171]

I am once again amazed by the creative and aesthetic vibe of your vlog, Leo!

[@kimolyslager]

"dont be intimidated by stacks of dead tree" oh YES tattoo this on me please

[@chloepoudrier9309]

The way you feel about sci-fi is EXACTLY how I feel about fantasy! I'm terrified I will have no clue what is going on because I'm too dumb to understand magic and intense worldbuilding 😅 If you're interested, Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, Dawn by Octavia Butler, and The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez are some of my favorite sci-fi's that I thought were easy to follow and super fun reads!

[@Rajaas_Reading_Corner]

Omg I got into a book slump after starting The Brothers Karamazov so I put it on standby for other books. So am taking it slow. Nice to see you challenge yourself. I understood your feeling of intimidation. I never know how to review such books!

[@wellenhelen]

I used to love long books and now I have big book fear ._. also, I am the exact opposite: (High) Fantasy is so scary with all the crazy concepts and such, I feel so much more comfy with a good contemporary haha

[@weronikaryfka3088]

don't worry leonie... I'm also in a reading slump.. going on the second month :D

[@dinneratbreakfast8565]

Hahaha the train comparison! To then go finish it on the train, beautiful!!

[@samikoller8953]

It kind of depends on the book. Sometimes things are intentionally confusing at first because everything comes together in the end. If it doesn't come together though then i tend to default to "im too stupid to understand it" but in reality it may be that the author didn't make the story clear and easy to follow. I'm trying to step away from telling myself I'm stupid lol

[@Sam-lt1pb]

I love sci fi, but some of the older sci fi is confusing. Do androids dream of electric sheep had some confusing bits for me, and overall it wasnt what I thought it would be. I'm intimidated by poetry and classics. I wont bother reading the divine comedy or paradise lost for that reason. The size of books does intimidate me also, but only because I need to improve my reading skills a bit more. Once I'm confident I can focus on what I'm reading i know I'll breeze through big books. Currently reading dune and loving it.

[@yoannam.2243]

I was worried that the Brontè's book are gonna be hard for me to read, but now they're are my cozy reads and of the best books that I've ever read. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is my favorite book ever, I think.

[@MR-gg4yq]

This video was really interesting for someone who loves reading Russian literature and 19th century classics in general - I almost never read genre fiction and I feel equally intimidated by reading fantasy books as you felt reading Crime and Punishment hahah